PANGAEA

There aren’t many people who can fill out ‘Adventurer’ under occupation on their tax form, but Mike Horn certainly can.

The South African adventurer has taken on some of the world’s toughest environments, from the forests of Brazil to the depths of darkness in the freezing North Pole.

Horn’s latest adventure, however, is not so much about conquering great landscapes as it is about giving back to the environment and creating new young explorers in the process.

The PANGAEA (PAN Global Adventure for Environmental Action) Expedition was born out of Horn’s love and respect for the environments he has come to know so well, and is an acknowledgement that climate change and the environment are Global concerns.

Key to the expedition, taking over 22,000 hours design time, the Pangaea is a 35-metre sailboat that sleeps 30 people and employs the latest technologies to ensure the comfort and safety of its passengers. The vessel incorporates a raft (if you’ll excuse the pun) of sustainable features including solar panels, BlueTec engines and the boat itself is made from recyclable aluminium.

The expedition aims to engage the world’s youth, helping them to interact with the environment in a proactive way, understanding the problems we face and actively developing solutions.

Essentially the program involves the establishment of 12 sustainable projects over a period of four years across the Globe and invites young people (aged between 13-20) to get involved.

Known as the Young Explorer Program the concept has so far seen two groups of 12 young people join Mike Horn on two projects – one in Antarctica, the other in New Zealand. The next will see the Pangaea take on another 12 young explorers to visit the Indonesian Seas, exploring the area’s biodiversity.

Horn was able to build his boat and launch the expedition by capturing the imagination of some major sponsors, Mercedes Benz and Officine Panerai and Geberit. It was Geberit who convinced Horn that a visit to Australia was a must.

The Pangaea stopped off in Sydney on its way up the coast last week. With nine expeditions still open for registration, there are still plenty of opportunities for young Australians to get involved.